I survey my students every semester, and the feedback on the grammar instruction is almost uniformly positive, despite the amount of work involved. My sense is that the error logs give them a feeling of greater power and control in relation to their use of language. I justify them on the grounds that their grammar may affect how they are perceived in the workplace and in society as much or more than anything else they learn in English class.

I learned these steps in a Flex Day workshop with English instructor Leonard Sanazaro some years ago.

1. I let the students know at the beginning of the semester in class and in the course outline that grammar will be a significant part of their grades and that they will do three error logs in which they correct all the errors on three of their essays. I will grade these error logs and together they will be worth 12.5% of the student's overall grade in the course, as much as one essay.

2. Each essay has two due dates: one for a content version and one for a grammar version. First the students turn in their final version in terms of ideas and structure. Then, in class that day, we do peer review of grammar. They go home and work more on proofreading, and in the next class turn in a proofread version of the same essay. Separating the grammar and content versions frees them to focus on higher order and later order concerns in sequence.

3. When I grade the grammar versions, I don't write any comments; I simply put the numerical codes from Rules for Writers next to each error. This is easier and quicker than it sounds as Leonard Sanazaro insisted when he explained it. It allows students to flip open the book to the explanation of the error and sample sentences with corrections. For example, a classic subject-verb agreement error like "He say" would be labeled "21a." I give each essay a grammar grade and combine it with the content grade into one overall grade. With longer essays, I put the error codes on only two pages of the whole essay, but of course I don't tell the students ahead of time which they will be.

It is easier for me to separate the content and grammar grading processes, although I do warn students that the content version must be clear; if grammar or word choice errors get in the way of meaning, they will affect the content grade as well as the grammar grade.

4. When the students get back the essays, I give out sample error logs from previous semesters (I am happy to provide photocopies if anyone wants to use them) and these instructions for completing the error logs. The instructions include a template the students can download and type into. Requiring the students to type the logs makes them much easier for me to read quickly and makes it easier for students to cut and paste whole sentences from their essays. I encourage the students to work on the logs in the Writing Lab with an instructor.

5. The students turn in their error logs either through email or in printed form. I am still experimenting with the two methods. They also turn in the grammar version of the essay again so I can make sure they have corrected all the errors I marked. I grade the error logs on the accuracy of their corrections and the quality of their explanations, which I expect to reflect an understanding of the general rule and specific error. I write brief comments responding to the questions they raise in their explanations.

6. I wish I had more data on the effectiveness of this method. I would love to know how others teach error logs and get some feedback on my practices!